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Reviews by Glyndwr

83

Not Total Annihilation but still fun

Total Annihilation was an excellent game when it was released and it was always going to be hard to surpass that feeling a few years later. Supreme Commander doesn't have that impact but it is a good RTS. If you like massive battles where you can zoom out for a large scale overview and in to see the nitty gritty of battles then you'll love this. The AI is fairly good with no major pathfinding issues and the graphics are still functional today. However, the code wasn't brilliantly optimised for this game which did make it a bit of a CPU hog when it first came out, it shouldn't be a problem with a modern rig but worth bearing in mind if using an older PC. There is plenty of content with large campaigns but interest in the game can run out before the content as the storyline isn't particularly engaging.

94

Rather excellent

Although I enjoyed Portal the surprise hit from the Orange Box I was rather sceptical that a sequel would work for this game. How wrong I was! The storyline and characters continue to be excellent, the puzzles are still fun with new additions to change the dynamics and add variety. It continues to have a very nice feel to it because all the components compliment each other. There are some minor frustrations but this game will keep you playing until the end. Thankfully after the single player there is more with the co-operative mode which gives a new dimension to the game. Mods and maps are also supported meaning new content is still being created to add to the experience.

74

Good but expected better

This is where the trilogy ends. I really liked the first two games but this one felt more like a chore than enjoyment compared to the other two. The same core gameplay features are there but it just feels like more of the same and the characters seem to have had less work put into them this time around which loses some of the interest. It may be because actions across the games mean some characters could be dead that we have met in the other games but they all seem to pretty much have a short dialogue tree and very little else, I guess the developers didn't want to put much work into what maybe 50% of players would not see. Unfortunately this impacts on the whole experience and leaves this game feeling hollow and rushed compared to the stronger first two games in the series, pick it up on sale.

90

Good continuation from first Mass Effect

I know some people dislike Mass Effect 2 compared to the first game due to the loss of inventory etc. I can understand this, yet this game also avoids some of the fiddly and pointless micro management from the 1st game. It would have been nice to have more freedom to visit planets outside the story arc as a continuation of the RPG elements but this is more story driven. Characters are mostly strong and interesting and gameplay is fun if a little bit over the top with the cover based combat. This game and the first game I played through without for a moment thinking I would rather be doing something else, they are very good for fans of sci-fi, unfortunately the third game in the trilogy is much weaker and should only be picked up cheap.

81

Good could have been great

I enjoy the setting and timeframe of Empire, it also has a great sense of scale but this does seem to be one of the problems. Improving buildings has become a lot more awkward in this game. With a large empire too much time is spent trying to find all the buildings to upgrade that will be useful and keeping track of what can be trained where. The game can also run slow on the campaign map sometimes with a large empire. Battles are as good as always and a lot of fun with good gunpowder units. Naval battles are a nice addition, although they do take some getting used to at first. The AI on campaign map can be frustrating particularly with regards to diplomacy but this is often a weak part of AI I find in many games of a similar type.

87

Excellent RTS

This is a very enjoyable game to play. It does not require resource gathering but the capture of territory. This makes for a more strategic game as there is always the balance between gaining territory to get more units and the risk of overstretching your forces and being forced into a hasty retreat. The single player game is of a good length and enjoyable enough but I prefer playing either skirmish against the AI or multiplayer. Graphically the game still holds up pretty well today, the game doesn't really feel dated at all it is still a very good game.

93

One of the best

I still remember the excitement playing the demo of this game and then getting the game itself. This is an excellent RPG, the gameplay is well balanced, the storyline is interesting and takes in many locations, it offers much of what we now come to expect with choices affecting what happens and how other characters respond. It does the cyberpunk setting very well which makes everything seem to have that little bit more importance as the story and setting make playing the game seem worthwhile. Graphically it was weak when it came out and much more so now but this is a game that provides much of what is lacking from glitzier modern titles.

60

Not as good as I was lead to believe

I don't know, maybe it was the excellent reviews and all the talk from friends but I expected much more from Bioshock and maybe that had a bearing on my experience. For me the game was a disappointment. As a shooter it is average, it seemed to rely on cheap scares which is something I have never found interesting in games. There is an atmosphere created but it isn't out of this world merely solid. The story does have some interest, yet again it is strong without being truly excellent or groundbreaking. That is what it comes down to for me, this game has been praised a great deal yet I feel it is only a solid game and could only appear brilliant when the competition was weak.

89

Back to the start

With this Total War game we go back to Japan and the original setting. For me Shogun just feels like it IS Total War more than any of the other games, I think the original setting is the best one. The graphics are a notable step up on Napoleon, the campaign map has become more streamlined and stylised. Battles continue to be an enjoyable experience although for more hardened players some of the old quirks are still present. Sea battles in the vanilla game are the weakest point by a long way, I tended to just simulate then. They are much improved along with other excellent additions in the Fall Of The Samurai expansion which brings a lot of extra interest to this game.

82

A grower

At first I didn't think I was going to like this game, it felt too similar to other Bethesda games in the mechanics. Graphically the game is dated and it is not particularly innovative. Having said all that I found myself going back to play a bit more. and a bit more! It offers a large game world and what happens in the storyline does depend on choices made as well as how the many different factions view you, for this alone the game provides good replay value and being so cheap it has to be recommended.

81

Game with promise still held back by bugs

I am a big cycling fan therefore a cycle manager game holds a very large appeal for me. The management side to this game is quite shallow with little interaction with riders and the morale system in the game is broken. The 3D part for races has good graphics and plays well enough although this has been fairly similar for a few iterations of the game; it would be nice if they could change the scale to make it more realistic. It is a definite buy for a cycling fan and anybody who likes management games will enjoy it but may want to pick it up at a cheaper price.

78

Fun if slightly shallow

A good, fun game, with some mods that make it even better. However it can get a bit repetitive after a while, particularly causing chaos, a key part of the game, as it is very similar regardless of the location. The map is very large and will take a long time to travel across unless you take a jet and then it still takes a few minutes. The graphics are good and it is very pleasant looking out over the island when the sun is setting. The game does look much better on this grand scale however, closer up things aren’t as polished and what few cities there are lack any real detail. The storyline is passable rather than memorable and the voice acting is poor but this is a game for fun gameplay and messing around in and can be picked up cheap.